CLAREMONT – Be prepared for thousands of people and abrupt road closures.

That is the message from law-enforcement agencies preparing for Saturday’s Stage 7 of the Tour of California bicycle race.

California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Briggs said the race could bring in as many as 30,000 people to various areas from Claremont to Glendora and Mt. Baldy.

“Just a reminder for those who live in the area to watch out for an influx of traffic and a lot of pedestrian and foot traffic in the area,” Briggs said. “Just watch for pedestrians, and share the road.”

Officers from the Rancho Cucamonga and Baldwin Park CHP stations as well as Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties’ sheriff’s departments will be involved in keeping things moving, Briggs said.

“But we are going to have significant extra officers assigned specifically to the race,” Briggs said. “We’ll have a fixed post and roving traffic control and stuff like that. We do have a contingent of officers dedicated to the race.”

The race started this week in Northern California.

Stage 6 will be held this afternoon in Solvang, in Santa Barbara County.

Saturday’s 75.8-mile Stage 7 begins at 11:45 a.m. in the Claremont Village and will conclude at about 3:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Mt. Baldy Ski Lifts.

Racers will follow an arduous up-and-down route from Claremont into the San Gabriel Mountains, then down into the streets of Glendora before climbing again to reach the ski area.

Ron Ellingson, the president of the Mt. Baldy Ski Lifts, said Thursday that a limited number of parking spaces there will be for sale for $99 on race day, but people must get there by

8 a.m.

“The only way you can get to ski-area parking lot is to buy a pass,” Ellingson said. “There are only 150 spaces, and we got 80 left.”

Police Lt. Jon Traber said his department was ready for Saturday’s race, and he pegged the total attendance in Claremont to be 3,000 to 5,000.

“There’s road closures involved with the event. That’s going to be biggest source of pain or conflict,” Traber said. “People are sometimes not aware of road closures. They’re expecting to get through town using Foothill (Boulevard) or Base Line (Road) during the event, which won’t be possible until between 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.”